As an extension of its non-GMO solutions, ADM will now offer both origination and extrusion capabilities of non-GMO soy protein for the European market.

ADM – a global leader in human and animal nutrition – has announced the opening of a new extrusion facility in Serbia. This comes less than a year after ADM’s acquisition of European provider of non-GMO soy ingredients, SojaProtein. 

With the combined efforts of ADM and SojaProtein, the facility will further expand ADM’s footprint in Europe, extending its production of non-GMO textured soy to include vital origination and extrusion capabilities.

Keeping pace with “incredible expansion” of EMEA region’s alt-meat category

“Our new extrusion facility not only increases the supply of locally sourced, non-GMO textured soy protein in Europe, which is in high demand, it also matches the pace of the incredible expansion of the meat alternatives category in the EMEA region,” said Leticia Gonçalves, ADM’s President of Global Foods. 

“The growth in EMEA, showing a market value of US$3 billion at the end of 2021 and an anticipated CAGR of 11.8 per cent between 2021 and 2026, is astounding,” she remarked. “With our 75+ years of experience developing tailored protein nutrition solutions now bolstered by both our expert colleagues at SojaProtein and our facility, we’re now even better suited to support our customers’ growth and innovation in the category.”

Plant set up to produce non-GMO soy proteins

The facility is set up to produce non-GMO soy proteins, which is a highly sought-after assertion not only in Europe, but across the world. Globally, 75 per cent of consumers look for non-GMO claims on protein content (source: FMCG Gurus, Meat & Plant-Based – Global Report 2022). 

Unique to the European region, ADM will now offer both origination and extrusion capabilities, extending the high-quality, non-GMO solutions currently available from ADM’s acquisition of SojaProtein. This is made possible due to 90 per cent of the soy sourced grown within 100km of the facility, enabling a local supply chain.

“In just under a year, our operational synergies with SojaProtein have made massive strides to meet demand for non-GMO soy protein. We’ll see continued growth with the broader protein solutions toolbox and improved R&D capabilities through the opening of our facility,” remarked Ms. Gonçalves. “The ingenuity of the new plant provides advanced extrusion and texturising equipment, delivering optimised and flexible solutions, ultimately allowing for unmatched speed-to-market for our customers to create in-demand textured plant-based protein offerings with a delicious bite and chew.” 

These expanded capabilities in providing high-quality, non-GMO soy protein solutions build upon ADM’s robust extrusion and texturised capacities in North America, in addition to the company’s recently announced substantial investment of US$300 million to expand its Decatur, Illinois, alternative protein production, as well as the planned opening of a new Protein Innovation Center.

“Our protein capabilities and production capacity continue to grow, and this new facility increases our extrusion capacity in the European region,” continued Ms. Gonçalves. “We’re proud to continue the advancement of the alternative protein space for EMEA and around the globe, and our new extrusion facility in Serbia is a significant contributor to this progress today and into the future.”